The £8m Exeter Bus Station officially opened to passengers on July 25.
The new station – a striking glass-fronted building in the heart of the city centre – replaces the current bus station which was constructed in the 1960s.
This fit-for-purpose modern facility will promote green public transport in the city and rural communities for decades to come.
The new Bus Station offers a massive improvement for passengers, with features such as glass-fronted covered waiting and boarding areas and high-quality facilities.
Exeter City Council Leader, Cllr Phil Bialyk said: “As a former bus driver this new station is obviously very close to my heart, and I am delighted that the City Council has been able to deliver it.
“It is right next door to the new leisure centre St Sidwell’s Point, which will open later this year, and I couldn’t be more pleased that we have been able to provide a brand new facility worthy of our great city.
“This station looks fantastic and is a great new gateway to Exeter. The old bus station did a job for many years but is well past its sell by date and to have a brand new facility is fantastic news for Exeter and the whole region.”
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales met transport workers and Exeter’s ‘Net Zero Heroes’ during a visit to the new Exeter Bus Station.
The new facility will be operated by Stagecoach South West.
Stagecoach South West Managing Director Mike Watson said: “We’re so excited to open our new Bus Station at the heart of Exeter city centre.
“It’s a great time to be welcoming more people back to the bus as restrictions across the UK are lifted. We’re delighted to be able to offer our passengers a brand new modern facility packed with travel information.
“We’ve made a significant investment in the latest technology to display clear departure information. We hope that our passengers will find traveling with us is even easier than before.”
Doug Lloyd, operations director at Kier Regional Building Western & Wales, said: “We are delighted to have completed the new bus station in Exeter.
“As a vital transport link for the South West, connecting rural and urban communities, we are proud to have delivered these first class facilities that have been specifically designed to support ease of travel. The station is filled with natural light as a result of its glass front, the building is spacious and accessible and it has plenty of seating areas.
“We are proud to have worked with our local supply chain partners to deliver this important project which we hope will bring benefits to the Exeter community for years to come.”
The new station, built on the same site as the old station, was funded by Exeter City Council and a £800,000 grant from the Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) ‘Getting Building Fund’.
